Naveen Patnaik takes oath as Odisha CM for fifth time
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) head Naveen Patnaik took oath as Chief Minister of Odisha on Wednesday. This is the fifth time the 72-year-old was sworn-in as the CM of the coastal state. Last week, his party secured 112 seats in the 147-member assembly. Narendra Modi, who will take oath as Prime Minister on Thursday, congratulated Patnaik and promised to work closely with him.
Patnaik visited a temple, took oath at Exhibition Ground
For this special ceremony, Patnaik broke the set norms. Instead of taking the oath at Raj Bhavan, he and his council of ministers were sworn-in at Bhubaneswar's Exhibition Ground. Odisha's Governor Ganeshi Lal facilitated the ceremony. Earlier this morning, Patnaik offered prayers at Srimandira. His sister Gita Mehta, who is a prominent writer, also attended the ceremony.
#FunFact: Did you know Mehta refused Padma Shri citing polls?
Earlier this year, Mehta refused Padma Shri award saying it would send a wrong message. In her letter to the government, Mehta had said general elections were close and her award might be misconstrued. She thanked the government but politely refused the award.
Two leaders took oath along with CM
Patnaik achieved a unique feat today
Patnaik just set a new record in Indian politics by being a rare leader who was sworn-in as CM for the fifth consecutive time. He has been governing the state since 2000. Notably, between 2000 and 2009, Patnaik ran a coalition government with support from BJP. After that, he formed a government on its own without any support, proving his clout as a politician.
Notably, BJP failed to dent BJD's prospects in the state
While BJD performed exceptionally well in the assembly polls, other parties didn't. BJP won 23 assembly seats, whereas Congress settled for just nine. The remaining seats went to independents and CPI(M).
I assure full cooperation from Centre: Modi's message to Patnaik
In a tweet, Modi wrote, "Best wishes to him and his team in fulfilling the people's aspirations. I assure complete cooperation from the Centre in working for Odisha's progress." Last month, when Odisha was hit by Cyclone Fani, Modi and Patnaik displayed amazing camaraderie and leadership. On a visit to the state, Modi congratulated Patnaik for saving the lives of millions and being proactive.
